Kaylee's natural hospital birth
katiewhompus
member
Kaylee Elizabeth arrived July 20th at 2:08pm. 6 pounds 7 oz, 19 inches long and sunnyside up (ow..)
Tue I went in for my 40 weeks and 2 day visit. I was happy to hear that I was 3cm dilated, 80% effaced, and still 0 station. I also got the date of my induction...the next day at 7:30am. Went to bed around 10pm and kept saying "Come on little baby, can't we at least try to go into labor by ourselves?" and got no sleep. I was up every 5 minutes having to pee, and just generally fretting.
Around 2am I started having period cramps that were strong enough that I couldn't sleep well. I still didn't think anything of it because I'd been having those cramps for 2 weeks. I went downstairs where H was watching TV and sat down for a minute. I realized that the cramps were coming every 3 minutes but still kept thinking "there is no way I'm going into labor 5 hours before an induction. I'm just imagining things. Finally after 30 minutes of 3 minute interval cramps H convinced me to call my doctor and go to the hospital.
Arrived around 3am and was admitted into the last available L/D room. There was a baby boom that morning and 7 out of 8 rooms had filled by 1am. I was still 3cm dilated so after being monitored for 15 minutes they let me wander around the floor to help with contractions. I was quickly noticed by the night staff and they were guessing how many miles I was going to walk before the end of the night.
8am and my OB came in to check on me and rupture my membranes. I was 5 cm dilated and the contractions were still managable through walking. After the membranes rupture the contractions started coming harder and faster. H encouraged me to continue walking and we did...until I began to get nauseous. I just made it back to my room and my bucket before losing the water I had been drinking. Vomiting and contractions are not fun combinations, just as a warning 
Then things started getting interesting and contractions harder. I spent a good hour in the shower and then tried the yoga ball, but was very uncomfortable on the ball because there was too much pelvic pressure.I was still able to just zone out and count myself through the contractions, but they started to feel like they were taking forever.
11am I started thinking "I don't think I can do this anymore" because the contractions were getting really bad. Every time I contracted I felt more water come out and my thighs would lock up. H spent a lot of time rubbing my thighs and telling me "I know it hurts, just breath through the pain." He would also keep an eye on the contraction monitor and go "10 seconds until it goes down, 5 seconds until goes down, ok it's going down now" which helped tremendously.
Nurse comes in around 11:30am to check my dilated because the contractions are taking on the pattern of pushing contractions. Surprise! I was 9cm dilated and ready to start moving her out. At first it was a huge relief to push, then she started moving through the birth canal and there was pain like I had never felt before. It took a few times to figure out how to push effectively because it felt like I was pushing her out of my butt and I thought I was doing it wrong.
2:00 my OB asks if she can give me an episiotomy because my pernieum was not stretching to allow the baby out even with her best natural efforts. I was originally against one but at that point all of my energy was spent and I needed this to be done so I agreed.
2:08 Kaylee shot out into the world like a little cannon ball. I remember the pain of her crowning and then whoosh! She was immediately placed on my chest and the first words out of my mouth were "Holy crap, she came out of me!" Her rapid entrance into the outside world resulted in 3rd degree tearing from the episiotomy that extended to my spincter, and the 2 hours of pushing gave me a lovely (and painful) hemeroid so I'm in a fair bit of discomfort now. Totally worth it though.
Things that went as expected : Med free! I was so proud of my H for his awesome coaching abilities. Kaylee was a girl (still had my worries she would surprise us and be a boy). Using the shower, walking, and yoga ball as pain relief.
Things that did not go as expected: Episiotomy, ah well. During pushing I had originally planned on having only H in the room (plus medical staff). It ended up being H, Sil, my mom, my OB/nurses, along with 6 other nurses who had never seen a natural birth before and wanted to see how it was handled. I could not have cared less. I was able to drink actual liquids the entire time, no ice chips, woot! Baby came out at 6 pounds 7 oz, which was her estimated weight via ultrasound at 36 weeks. Talk about being off!
Re: Kaylee's natural hospital birth
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PLEASE STOP SPAMMING THE BOARDS
Amazing! I admire you for doing a natural birth. I have no set birth plan but would like to at least give it a go naturally this time around (1st LO was induced, the pitocin was just too much and I had an epidural right away).
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
The nurses and residents flocked in to see my pain-med-free birth as well. Funny how that's such an anomaly now!
congrats on your little girl. i hope you heal up quickly!